The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Good Follow - Indiana Fever’s Stephanie White Joins The Show, Paige Bueckers Goes #1 + WNBA Rivalry Week & More

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

This week on Good Follow: Ros & Logan discuss if Paige Bueckers could be the next face of basketball in Dallas, react to players like Deja Kelley and Diamond Johnson not being drafted, and look ahead to some of the featured matchups during the WNBA’s new rivalry week. Then, Ros sits down with Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White to talk top priorities for the Fever, Caitlin Clark in year 2, utilizing Aliyah Boston, offseason moves, and more. Later, Ros and Logan discuss Paige Bueckers' Unrivaled contract, and the transfer portal in a game of “Big Deal or No Big Deal.” Finally, Logan shares her NWSL pick of the week presented by DraftKings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Draft Kings Network. Hey, what's up everyone? Welcome to Good Follow, presented by DraftKings. I'm Roz Golden-Wide. That's my girl Logan Hackett. Logan, what's going on? How are you? I'm great. How are you? Girl, I'm good. I can't believe it's April already. Can you? Where's the time going? Right. I was just looking at the calendar and the fact that training camp starts like next week, I think Sunday, the 27th, whenever that is, it's too quick. Everything is so fastly approaching.

We got a great show for y'all today. These are the topics we'll be discussing. The WNBA draft, obviously, Paige Becker's and her fit in Dallas and literally, Paige's fashion fit at the draft plus all the different looks and fashion and fit that came out of the draft. We take a look at the WNBA's sparkly new rivals week and which matchups we like more or less and whether or not Unrivaled is putting more pressure on the WNBA with their lucrative contracts and we continue to update you on the college transfer portal including the underclassmen mass exodus out of UCLA.

Plus we also have an exclusive sit down interview with Indiana fever head coach Stephanie White. And she takes us through the entire roster, including her vision for Caitlin Clark in year two. So big show, Logan. Huge, I'm so excited. But y'all as always, thank you so much for subscribing, commenting, liking,

pressing all the buttons following us. And new episodes drop every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. So y'all better tap in. Rozzy, ready? Ready to go. Alrighty. Well, as we all expected, Paige went number one in the WNBA draft on Monday night. And though we knew it was going to happen, it was still bittersweet. And Dallas is welcoming her with open arms. But if you kind of think of the state of basketball in Dallas, it's quite up in the air right now. I mean, fans are still upset that they lost Luca. They don't really have a star, a top tier face of basketball. So do you think that Paige could be the new face of basketball in Dallas?

I think it's a super exciting time right now in Dallas getting Paige Becker's getting the number one overall draft pick. It's hard for me to say that Paige suddenly becomes the face of basketball in Dallas when Arik Agoomba Wale is on that team and heading into her seventh season there. And you also got Dijon A Carrington. I mean, these are full blown stars on this team. And I also think like there might be a natural transition period or adjustment period.

Being a guard in the WNBA is hard. Paige has built Wirie and defenders are bigger, stronger, faster. So my question is, can Paige keep up her efficiency as a shooter? I know that was something she was always like obsessed with and loved. But her shooting ability will create spacing. I think she's going to eat off of the spacing created for her by Arikay Agunbowale.

And I also think Dallas now has so much wing depth because it's not just Paige Becker's or Arikay. They also added Aziah James, which is a great guard player out of the collegiate side. You have Ty Harris, you have Dejane Carrington on the wing. And I think that'll be big for Arikay, who played the most minutes in the league last season, 38.6 minutes per game or something like that. My girl can have a chance to rest,

which might be beautiful for the rest of the team. So that depth is exciting. But as far as Paige, she's so likable, she's easily marketable. Her teammates are welcoming her with open arms. Look at all the tweets from Arikay, everything. She's got a fan base that'll come with her. And I just think her lighthearted and personality and her being a great human and great teammate, which we've seen her demonstrate over the years, will be very welcome in a Dallas locker room that has a lot of new faces, a new coach. It's a new era. So I think it'll help everything mesh.

I actually just saw a tweet from Arikay right before we started filming. And I think it was something around God takes you through the lows so you can come out on the other side and Paige is our other side. Like we're really together as a team and getting Paige with the cherry on top but following Paige at number one the picks two to four went pretty much how we expected with Dominique Malonga going to the storm and then Sonya Citron and Kiki Irofin going to the Mystics. Now I was shocked what came after because when you look at the mock drafts it it was completely different. The mock drafts went out the window. It was like they never even existed. Personally, I'm shocked that Cheyenne Sellers didn't go higher. Sarah Ashley Barker went as high as she did, which I think

she's very deserving, but it was very unexpected. And even Georgia Amor getting drafted sixth, I did not expect to see that whatsoever. But looking at this list, what stood out to you about this year's draft? Well, I'll just point out Haley Van Lith, because I think in our last show, I said that I thought she'd go higher than people had predicted because her season at TCU was a success. Her tournament performance was a success. And I think that helped her go higher. And she comes in at number 11 in Chicago and she's going to have the opportunity to not have everything be on her shoulders,

but at the same time, she'll get to learn from Courtney Vandersloot, one of the great point guards of all of women's basketball, a reunion with Angel Reese, which I think could be comfortable for her. And Tyler Marsh is a coach that's well-regarded as someone who works really well with players and develops them.

It could be a nice fit for her. I could really see Camilla, Angel, and Haley, just absolutely, like the, what's it called? Not a dynamic trio, triple threat, that's it. For the future, for sure. Yeah, absolutely. But there were also some players that we didn't see get drafted,

and there's a lot of discourse online, but who stood out to you that didn't get drafted? and there's a lot of discourse online, but who stood out to you that didn't get drafted? Well, the headline starts with Sedona Prince not getting drafted and I think her size and stats alone should have allowed her to get drafted this year, but it was her conduct. It's the allegations of domestic violence that I think the GMs of the league made a cultural statement in not drafting her. And look, Sedona may end up in the WNBA and in the league, but she just, that won't allow, they wouldn't allow her to be rewarded by being drafted.

So, you know, she's gonna have to prove her way in. And I also think she didn't have a great final game of her collegiate season. Plus her taking seven years to finish college and the injuries. I think, you know, that all went against her there. Another player that didn't get drafted. Boy, Deja Kelly, you know, she first of all, she was decked to the nines. Like she had this awesome outfit on and it almost makes you feel like, oh, how how vulnerable and public these players are as they pursue their dreams and that

you could fall flat and not get drafted on this on this very public night and you know Oregon didn't have a great season I did think she had a nice finish this season and a great first round performance in the tournament hopefully she'll get a chance in training camp to show what she can do. And the biggest outcry came for Diamond Johnson at a Norfolk stake. So, you know, we're talking HBCU. This is the MIAC Conference Player of the Year. She averaged like 19 points per game, also was doing it on defense, led the conference

in steals. 3.6 steals was an all defensive selection. And if critics were like, oh, well is the me at conference tough enough? But she also played at Rutgers and NC State. You know, this is ACC, this is big 10. And she did well there. She was highly regarded there. So I think the critique and the outcry

was why suddenly was she not good enough to be drafted here? Given the numbers and the pedigree speaks, the body of work was speaking for itself. Perhaps it's a lack of attention or respect for MIAC basketball, HBCU basketball, and attention to what's going on there. I can definitely see a lot of them getting training camp contracts.

And I hope that they make a team too, because there's no better feeling than going on drafted and them making a team being like, come on now, you should have taken me. But moving on to the WNBA season, we're getting an entire week dedicated to W rivalries and they announced that their games are going to be between August 9th and 17th. But while there are some rivalries here, the one that jumps out is Sky and Fever with people upset saying, it's not a true rivalry. But just looking at this as a whole, I mean, do you think that some of these rivalries are being played out? First of all, Logan, like

bigger picture here, I like the effort of the league to try and create some urgency storylines that fans can follow. This is called stickiness. It's an opportunity also to monetize the partner ally on this is a huge get for the for the WNBA. So, you know, look, some of these games do make sense, right? Like New York Liberty versus Lynx that run it back championship and WNBA finals. It went five games. It was controversial Liberty versus Aces. That was the year before his finals, Commissioners Cup star power. Although the Aces do look different,

but the star power, you've got your reigning MVP. You got to have Asia there. It makes sense, right? Sky versus Fever. So Logan, do you like that one? I don't. For a number of reasons. First of all, where's the rivalry?

I mean, if Angel and Caitlin is the rivalry that you're talking about, that is even non-existent. They don't play the same position. And that's the part that gets me the most. There's a matchup, Fever and Dallas on here. Page against Caitlyn, both at the point, most likely. That's exciting. First round, or first overall against first overall.

But I'm so done with the Caitlyn and Angel rivalry that's being created. But just as teams, I don't see it. Okay, I'll go devil's advocate the other way. Let's not be dense about this. This is in Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, you have the two most followed, most visible new young faces in the WNBA that people are talking about. And they do have a history that goes back to college. The rivalry is certainly more fan created than it is player created.

To your point, they don't play the same position. They largely seem like at at minimum, there's a respect there between the two of them. So I just think this is like we're going to put our two hottest names on TV and boom. Just I just hope it doesn't. I hope we can do this without inviting the obnoxious and sometimes toxic conversations that came around this this matchup. So Fever versus Dallas.

There's no rivalry, but it is the top two number one picks for the last two years. Right. So like that's interesting. I'd sign up for that. Like the one the one the one the two places where. So like, that's interesting. I'd sign up for that. Like, right. The one the one the one the two places where I'm like, OK, the Valkyries and having a rivalry week is kind of funny. Right. Like they don't even have history.

They just started their first year. Who they beefing with already. And the fact that they're not even going up against teams that are close to them. Like we have Atlanta and then the other one is Chicago. Like at least do a proximity rivalry or something. Look, Kathy had to showcase her brand new Sparkly franchise somehow some way. And you mentioned Atlanta. There is Atlanta Dream versus the Phoenix Mercury.

So that's Brittany Griner versus her former team. I'm on that one. I'm like, I'm less into that storyline as much as I'm into. Those are two new look rosters. They're on two teams that are very talented. And I actually just as I'm into those are two new look rosters on two teams that are very talented. And I actually just think I'm interested in seeing this very good game between the dream and the Mercury. So anyway, I'll be tuned in. I will be sad. And I'm just going to give a clap to the league trying to further storylines, fandom, urgency, stickiness, whether it be through Rivalry Week or the Commissioners' Cup, I think it's all good for the game.

It's also taking place as there's a push towards playoffs, so there's a bit more added pressure to the games. But y'all, we have to go to break. And coming right up, Ross, it's down with the Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White. And it's amazing, and I cannot wait for y'all to see it. We'll be right back. Hey, what's up? Good follow. This is Roz and we have an exclusive sit down interview with the new head coach of the Indiana Fever. She was the 2023 WNBA coach of the year and NCAA champion, a baller herself, a WNBA champion and my former broadcasting teammate. That's right.

What's going on? How are you? I'm good. It's so great to have you on the show, Steph, and that you made the time. I'm sure you have a million things going on. No, I appreciate you having me on. Yeah, for sure. I was, you know, looking up all of your history and stories.

And I'm like, this is a real indie gal. Like born in Indiana, you played your college ball in Indiana at Purdue. You played for the fever in the WNBA along other stops in coaching. You actually were an assistant coach with the fever. And now here you are back as the head coach of the Indiana fever. Just how has Indiana shaped you and just been a backdrop for you over the course of your life story? Yeah, you know, it's interesting because people, when they ask about my background, I consider myself a community project. You know, I grew up in a very small town in the state of Indiana. And of course, you know, anybody who knows basketball knows the rich history of basketball

in the state of Indiana. And typically that works through the cornfields, right? So it's country and it's basketball. And that's really how I grew up. And I grew up in a small community, no stoplights in our entire county, right? Everybody in our county went to one high school. And growing up in that area, it was thought at the time that no one from a small school would get a college scholarship offer.

I wasn't going to be able to do that unless I moved to the city or I moved to, you know, a bigger school. And everyone in my community was dead set on helping me accomplish my goals, whether that was from the time I was 10 years old playing with the guys who I called the old men in our town who played on Sundays and Wednesdays who were probably in their 30s, maybe at the time, allowing me to play with them and really trying to teach me the game to, you know, when we couldn't afford to send me to AAU national tournaments, you know, that our community got behind that and had fundraisers and helped me, you know, get to the point where I could be seen by college

coaches. I mean, remember, you know, that was a long, long time ago. So no social media, right? Like very little, very little television,, remember, you know, that was a long, long time ago. So no social media, right? Like very little television, no internet, you know, none of that stuff. It was, you know, you go to a couple of tournaments a year that college coaches are there. You go to one AAU national tournament,

the college coaches are there and that's how you get seen. And so I do feel like I was a community project. And so being from Indiana, being able to continue my career in college and the WNBA in Indiana, it's just in my blood. You know, it's in my blood. It's who I am. And so the opportunity for me to be able to come home, and I really mean that. It's not just a phrase to me to come home, you know, was, was it just, I didn't know that I didn't think that that would happen. And so the ability for that to happen and the opportunity that presented itself, it

was too good to be true. This is a true homecoming in every way of it. And like not to continue to lose use cliches, but it took a village. Yes. You know, and it says a lot about you that like pretty much what you said was, you know, the whole hood, everybody believes in you. Exactly. We were like, we're going to get Steph to her dreams.

And you've absolutely done that as a player, as a coach. And you've been already a part of history with the Indiana Fever franchise and organization. Before we talk about the present, I want to I want to look at history because you actually overlapped as a player with the great Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings. And as a coach, you were on the staff when that team won the WNBA championship, the only one in fever history.

So let's start with Tamika Catchings, just how did she influence the way you see the game and impact this franchise and set a tone for it? Yeah, you know the interesting thing about about Tamika when she was drafted I don't I don't know if you recall when she was drafted and she was injured. She had she had her knee Um, she was not going to play her rookie year Um, and I was a part of the team at that time. Tamika and I were roommates a lot on the road And I remember she didn't say a lot, right? She didn't talk a lot.

She wasn't playing. She wasn't actively involved in practice every day. But we didn't win a lot, right? Like we were an expansion team. We didn't win a lot. But she still had this competitive fire. And so when she did speak in the locker room, whether it was about our habits or about the way we were approaching games or like, and she was not used to losing, right?

She was used to winning. You know, it said a lot to me about the type of number one player in person and competitor that she was, but number two leader she was going to be that she was not actively involved in playing or participating at that time, but she was actively involved in where we were going to be and how we were going to go about our business on a daily basis. And I loved that about her. And that's who she is, ultimately, that's who she is. And I remember as a teammate, it was, Tamika sets the standard

because she works in practice the way that she plays, which is all out every day. And a terror, historic terror on defense. But I think it's cool that you got to see two perspectives of her like her early in her career and then later as a coach, you know, her fully blossomed as a player. And, you know, you've got an interesting roster that you're heading into as the head coach and we like focus in on the now for the Indiana fever. You've got a unique locker room. It is undoubtedly super talented, but it's such a mashup of unique personalities. And I'll also say established storylines for each of these players.

Like there aren't some players that like haven't figured out what they're about. Or like the storyline hasn't been created for them in the W. And you've got all of this coming into your locker room. So, you know, season's on the way. What are going to be your first priorities? Maybe even exercises in creating common ground and meshing this team. Yeah, you know, I think one of the early conversations, you know, for us as a coaching staff has just been about connection and building a relationship and, you know, approaching the players who were in that locker room a year ago in, hey, what is it that you want to accomplish?

You don't, what is it that we can help? You're like, you don't know what you don't know, right? And most of those guys were pretty young, certainly pretty young in terms of playoff experience. And then approaching them in sort of a self-scout way, like this is what we would do to you when we played you. So these are the things that we want to work on. So first establishing with those players that had been here, then continuing to work on our communication and relationship building. Because we know at the end of the day, you know, it doesn't matter what you know, you know, if you don't have

connection, if you don't build relationship, and if you don't build trust. And so we've really started from a foundational level of that. And then it was really important who we added in free agency and in the off season fit who we already had. I mean, look, our big three with Caitlin and Kelsey and Aliyah, like you gotta have certain kinds of vets that fit around them. That number one, fill the gaps that we need in our lineups, in our rosters,

but number two, have accomplished, you know, multiple things that can lead them in a way that they haven't been led before, but also understand where they fit in the scope of what the Indiana Fever is about now and what we're about in the future, and that give us a chance to compete for championships. And I think that Amber and Kelly did an outstanding job.

I mean, certainly- They crushed it. I mean, they crushed it. They did. You know, you think about bringing in Natasha Howard, who was drafted by the Indiana Fever when I was an assistant coach, was traded by the Indiana Fever when I was the head coach,

just went out and won multiple championships after that, you know, continued to become- You got winners. Absolutely, to continue to become one of the greatest players in the history of our league, played every different kind of role, is soft spoken. So when she speaks, you listen because it matters, right? Gives us a little bit different look at that position

than we've had before. DeWanna Bonner, who again, winner, right? Has won at every level, competed and won her championship in Phoenix, competed for won it for a championship in Phoenix, you know, competed for championships with us in Connecticut, versatility, which is critical for our system and what we want, ultra competitive, but also like a mother hen, right? So it can be that one that can like push you

and challenge you, but also like embrace you and hug you and help you understand all the things that go along with the ups and downs and the long season that we have, this sprint marathon of the season. And can knock down a shot, can spread the floor, can do all the things that we need to do. Sydney Colson, a backup point guard was really important for us.

Again, a winner, a winner at every level. Different kinds and vibes and different kinds of leadership. Like not afraid to speak her mind. Like has been through the rigor and the battles. Has played, has not played. Has been in rotation, has not been in rotation. Was called upon when Chelsea Gray goes down with injury in the finals and ultimately helps them win the series. After not having played a lot throughout the course of the season.

So has played various roles and understands, you know, how important it is to stay ready. Is one of those players who can nip things in the butt in the locker room without it happened to get to us as coaches, builds our depth on the perimeter, allows us a little bit more versatility with Caitlin and Kelsey and what we do with them. Really important to get somebody of her caliber,

you know, certainly for us. Sophie Cunningham, toughness, right? Winner, ability to play multiple positions, plays with tough, has played with tough competitors. I mean, was essentially mentored by the all-time greatest in Diana Taurasi, right? So now she can be that mentor. She can be that player who comes in and brings us that toughness and that swag, yet keeps our versatility, can knock down shots,

which shot making is so important for us, and take some pressure off of our big three, because all of these other guys can do their own thing, but when they fit with what we have, I think it makes this really, really dangerous. Plus all of those players are going to help us on the defensive end of the floor, which has been our greatest deficiency. And so I think that having that, having veteran players who understand what it is to be a part of this organization, who are not afraid of all of the things that come with being

a part of the Indiana Fever and who ultimately at the end of the day are great teammates, great people, and just want to win. That is a great walkthrough. All of the additions, all of the star power and muscle that you have joining the team this season. And you mentioned the big three. I'll guide you through it. Let's start talking about them. Let's start with Caitlin Clark. You have a generational talent. Sometimes that word is thrown around, but I think it's really fitting here for Caitlin and her talent and her potential at the point guard position.

So Caitlin Clark was on an alternate broadcast with Diana Tarassi and Sue Bird and one of my favorite parts of it. So she's got a goal and she wants to have less technical fouls. That's a good goal. And you know, she plays with such passion and fire. And of course, sometimes that spills over and sometimes that can, you know, show very visibly,

but a lot of times the passion is good. So like, what's your immediate reaction to that? Did Diana give her any advice? I think they were bragging on the types of texts they all got. I'm sure they were. You know, I think my initial reaction is, look, like momentum changing technicals we can't have. The unnecessary ones, like we can't have.

You know, having conversations about what it means to show your fire and like you don't want to take any of that away because that's what makes her special, right? But to channel some of that, in a way that may not hinder our team. The margin for error in this league to win a championship is so small. And if one technical in a game changes the momentum

and causes you to lose it, that's big. So when we get them, the timeliness of them, the ones that happen, you know, in a heat of the moment, competitive, whatever, okay, like, yeah, we live with those. It's the nagging ones, right? Like getting on the official and continuing to nag and nag and nag. Like that's my job. That's my job. So I think for me, it's helping her navigate the win, when to do it and when not to, you know's helping her navigate the when to do it and when not to, helping her maintain a constructive channel for a lot of that

competitive spirit. And I think it's important for Caitlin to utilize to make a catchings because catch was the same way. Oftentimes our greatest strength can sometimes be our greatest weakness, right? That fiery competitive is like is the reason that you're so successful, but sometimes it can hurt depending upon the timing of it.

And so I think catch is a great resource for that too. You know, I think just being honest with her about like certain times like, yo, it's time to kind of chill or, hey, yeah, yeah, go ahead. Or I'll get this one, right? Like I get this one. You know, having, yeah, go ahead. Or I'll get this one. Right. Like I got this one. You know, having those conversations, I you don't want to stifle the things that make her great.

But you also have to take into consideration all of the things that go into the ultimate opportunities for success for your team. I think this is why it's so great that you're coach here, because as a broadcaster covering you as a coach, players have often said you're a player's coach. And like, I feel like this is one of those moments where like you've got a good feel for it

in working with her. Okay, so besides this decreasing tax, we already know that Caitlin has put on some strength and muscle, she had that viral picture. Yeah, you saw that, yeah. I asked her if it was Photoshopped. She said it was that. Yeah. I asked her if it was Photoshopped. She said it was AI. Now, but we know she's putting work in on the way in the weight room. But besides those two things,

what aspects of her game would you like to work with her on for this season? Yeah. I mean, certainly getting stronger was one, you know, the level of physicality in the W is totally different. You know, that's the way that teams have to try to keep her off balance. Keeping a low center of gravity. There are times where she plays a little bit upright, making sure core strength and her ability to move with time under tension and stay in a low center of gravity is important.

Lateral movement, like one of the challenges that we're coming to her with right away is on the defensive end of the floor. Use your size, use your length. You've got to make, that's got to be a priority, right? It's got to be a priority to play both ends because we don't have to go from, you know, 11 or 12 to one or two,

but we got to get to middle of the pack. You know, I think from just a straight basketball perspective, making sure that we help her diversify her finishing ability, diversify in the way that it's not predictable, to be able to be equal in terms of production and facilitation going right and left, to be able to have different types of finishing looks, whether it's cross-body finishes, whether it's floaters at the rim, whether it's quick floaters, long floaters, you know, euros, you can't quite be

as fundamentally predictable with as much athleticism, speed, quickness, and as much as the game plan is gonna be geared toward her. And then I think the challenge for us as coaches is how do we get a rest when she's on the floor while she's playing, right? Like while she's on the floor, and some of that's gonna be playing off ball,

utilize her as a screener, getting her into action on the third and fourth side instead of the first and second, where it's easy to game plan against. Now how we use her to help everybody else be better off the ball, we know how great she is with the ball in her hands. We're not gonna take that away,

but we've gotta be able to diversify a bit in how we use her. So from those kinds of challenges as well, I mean, we've got like a short term kind of list and we got a long term kind of list, but Kaitlyn, you know, I remember from the very first day when we were working on balance and we were working on footwork and we were looking on all those things

from day one to day two, she had it. Wow. Like she's a perfectionist and she wants it and she's going to work on it. So that long list might get shorter every day. Every day we're in practice. Yeah. Another part of the list too,

takes a look at Aliyah Boston, because that two player game between Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston by the end of the season, Steph, it really had a lot of growth and rhythm and flow to it. So what do you envision, you know, that part of the game, especially Aliyah Boston here in year two of them together? Yeah, I think number one you envision, you know, that part of the game, especially Aliyah Boston here in year two of them together?

Yeah, I think number one, yes, you're absolutely right. I love the way that they work together in the two man game. They got so good at reading one another. You know, I think Aliyah is an outstanding facilitator as well from that post position. So we're going to use her a little bit more like a hub, right? Like a little bit more like a, like a yolkage in how she gets the ball and whether that's you know in the trail you know in a lot of our stuff in flow or whether that's on the block. I don't want her to have to work as hard like one on one. You know I don't want her to have to just

you know pound and pound and body and dribble in a one on one situation to get shots. We want to make her life easier. How can we get her touches at the rim where she can just go right into to her finishes. How can we get her touches at the rim where she can just go right into her finishes? How can we get her touches off the block where then we can run off ball action and she can be a facilitator? Then she can get into other actions that allow her to move after she's gotten rid of it to get some easy buckets as opposed to just everybody knows a strong side pick and roll is coming. So a little bit more movement, a little bit more usage in her in terms of facilitating and a little bit more versatility in her game. I mean, challenging her

to become a consistent, doesn't have to be high volume, but a consistent three-point shooter, like looking for those, you know, being able to use other aspects of her game outside of just pounding with her back to the basket. If I'm Aliyah Boston and I happen to be watching Good Follow Show and watching this interview, I would be so excited to hear all of the accountability and opportunity you're giving her to potentially grow into. There is nothing like a facilitating big. Let me take you to Kelsey Mitchell, who is 29, I believe. So we are talking about prime years right now, okay?

What's next level for her because we know she is a bucket, a bucket, a bucket. Yeah, I mean, you know, Kelsey was our number one priority in free agency, you know, making sure that we're re-signing her, making sure that she understands how important she is to everything that we are going to do. You know, she is the,

probably the one person on our roster that can just get a bucket, doesn't need any help. Right, you know, I think our ability as a staff to move her around and utilize her strengths and her ability to get downhill, she doesn't need a screen. Right, she doesn't need the two man, the ability to get downhill, the ability to use her in two or three actions to get her wide open looks,

to use her speed in the open floor, you know, to put her in positions. You know, I thought last year, and you look at her numbers, open looks, to use her speed in the open floor, you know, to put her in positions. You know, I thought last year, and you look at her numbers, it was the most efficient year that she's had. Less shots, most efficient, right? All-star performance, you know, all, she's an all-league performer in my mind, you know, no doubt about it. But I think our system and the way that we can continue to play to her strengths and put her in positions for success, I think it's going to be really good. We're going

to free her up to just play. We're going to use her and Kaitlyn and a lot of stuff together. We're going to use them as screeners and a lot of action to then open them up. I mean, we all know, everybody knows, if you're a great scorer, if you can be a great screener, you're going to get a lot more shots. And then we're gonna put her in position to do what she does best and break down the defense. And we're gonna have other action to where it's not like, here you go, Kelsey, you gotta make a play,

and then we're just watching, right? So we're gonna give her multiple options in that action. And then I think she can be a real key for us on the defensive end of the floor. She's been relied upon so heavily offensively in her time in Indiana and of course, you know, had the most talent that she's ever had around her a year ago. And I think this year will be, will be even more so. So take some pressure off of her to feel the burden of having to make the play. But also I think she's going to get more wide open looks than she's ever gotten before because

of who we have on the floor and because of their ability to space the floor. I mean, we're already talking about an all star in Kelsey Mitchell, but like an even further breakout season. How exciting, you know, and you keep talking about defense too. So I'm going to be looking at the growth and the depth there. We got to grow. I'm going to get you out on this one. This is just like a bigger picture way of looking at this upcoming season, because last year the Indiana Fever and quite frankly, Caitlin Clark saw unprecedented levels of attention, you know, and that meant coverage fandom. And sometimes it could be hard on the players, even toxic. So I want to just understand, like, I'm sure you had to have given some thought

to this and stepping into this unique position on your philosophy of protecting your players and also even players of other teams from toxic treatment, toxic coverage, things that may be hurtful for them. As players last season did raise their hand and say, this was a lot. Yeah, no, you know, I think number one, we gotta be vocal about what's acceptable and what's not. Doesn't mean that people are gonna change. I think we've all been online enough to know that there's a lot of hate out there. There's a lot of vitriol out there. But I also think we have to step back and look at,

you know, I think that there are people and there are, you know, a lot of different algorithms out there that are specifically using, whether it's Caitlin Clark, whether it's the Indiana Fever or the WNBA in general, to further these hateful narratives that aren't WNBA fans, that aren't Indiana Fever fans, that aren't Caitlin Clark fans, to be quite honest, utilizing that.

So I think number one, you know, for our team, our challenge is gonna be, what do we allow inside the building, right? What do we allow inside the locker room? Like we've got to be very protective of our space. We got to be very protective of our team. If you don't have the ability to shut it down, then we have to have and utilize the resource

to be able to keep it on the outside. Right. We cannot, we cannot allow that to, to infiltrate our building. And then on a global scale, you know, I think for us as a staff, as an organization, as a league, we have to continue to be vocal about what is expected, what is accepted and what is not. There is no, there is no place for the hate, the vitriol, the language, the narratives that have been spewn upon the WNBA from last season to this season. And look, part of being a great league, and you know our male counterparts have seen this as well,

some of it comes with it. Some of it comes with it. And you can root for your team, you can dislike an opponent. You know, you can dislike whatever it is. Be a fan. But don't be a bad human being, right? Like be a fan, but don't be a jerk. Like it's not that hard to not be a jerk. You know, I tell my children the same thing all the time, guys. Like, look, there's a way to be a fan and there's a way to root for your team and there's a way to root for your team, and there's a way to get on opponents and coaches or whoever it may be, that you're not attacking them personally.

You're not attacking them, you know, from racially. You're not attacking their sexual orientation. You're not attacking who they are as a person, right? But you can critique, like that's part of the thing. We know it, right? We know it in all of our jobs, right? That's part of it. But it's not that hard to not be a jerk.

It's not that hard to be respectful. And just continuing to be vocal about it and continuing to make sure that we are propelling the right narratives about our game, continuing to make sure as media members that we're covering the right narratives, that we're not allowing the trolls to create the news and taking ownership and accountability of that as well.

I mean, Mike drop so well said, I couldn't support that more. So I think that's a wonderful way to finish this interview. And I truly appreciate anytime I get to just kick it with you and talk hoops, learn. I'm just literally, I should be like taking notes. But I feel like, you know, this is a very important time in women's hoops, an exciting time for the Indiana fever. And I'm so glad you're at the helm of it. And I wish you the best of luck. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Yeah. Thank you for the time. The NBA 82 game grind is done. And now the real fun begins. It's the best time of year y'all because the NBA playoffs are here and it's time for all the high stakes drama, the clutch moments and the jaw dropping plays. If you're looking to make the playoffs even more exciting, DraftKings Sportsbook has you covered as an official sports betting partner of the NBA. Make it a playoff run to remember with DraftKings.

Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code GOODFOLLOW. That's code GOODFOLLOW for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets when you bet just $5. Only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. 467369. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino in Resorting Kansas, 21 and over, agent eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Voighton, Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng.co slash audio. Welcome back to Good Follow presented by DraftKings. I'm Roz, she's Logan.

And that was head coach of the Indiana Fever, Stephanie White. We thank you, Steph, so much for joining us. Exciting times in Indy. Exciting times for our show, because Logan, you like games, right? I love a good game. Ooh, well, we got a game for you. Today we're playing a new game called Big Deal or No Big Deal.

Love it. No, they did it with the suitcases. I was waiting to see what they were going to pull up. Well, should we get started? Oh, goodness. I'm kind of scared for this one. I don't know why. I feel like my indecisiveness is not going to go well, but let's get started with the

first one. Earlier this week, Paige Becker signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled. It was huge and made big waves because her first year salary is $350,000, which is more than her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract, which is $348,000. Now, when Riveld is applying pressure in a ton of different realms, but with a new CBA on the horizon, is this a big deal or not a big deal for the WNBA? I'll say a little of both.

I'll say big deal in the sense that the players in the league right now are in negotiations of the CBA. It's a public discussion and from a PR spin, it adds pressure on the WNBA to win the headline at minimum and also increase the compensation of the players. It's a no big deal in this way. I want to caution people to keep perspective Because unrivaled just came off of a season managing 36 players over 10 weeks In one location and they have six teams that are all league managed They don't have franchises that a commissioner has to answer to owners for. It's a very different less complex business model and what works for unrivaled from a strategic standpoint may not

necessarily be a best practice for the WNBA. So just keep perspective in these discussions. Now, do I think players could opt out of the WNBA to just only play the unrivaled season? Maybe it's possible that that could happen, but I just think the larger women's basketball ecosystem and the players themselves need the WNBA to be a success. The WNBA needs to be the focal point

of the women's basketball season, and it's the WNBA's success that ultimately leads to everything else, in my opinion. It's like Unraveled is a little side hustle, but it is glaring how much better they're doing and it really showed out to me or stood out to me during the draft because the Unravel content that we got throughout the whole year from player reveals to behind the scenes in the gym with players doing their own TikToks, all that. That was the blueprint. And going into the draft, it was nothing like that.

I swear it was even less than last year. Like, no players. I think the players at the Empire State Building was the most we got, but really nothing when they were getting ready or interacting with each other. So I think as a whole, as you said, it looks like a big deal, but there is so much more going on behind the scenes. Yeah. I mean, certainly the WNBA could take some cues from what did go well for Unrivaled for sure.

Absolutely. But moving on to our next one, this could possibly be a big deal, theoretically speaking, because TCU has landed five transfers, four of which are between 6-1 and 6-7. That is a very tall team. And actually, fun fact, they have the same amount of players that are over 6'1 and 6'7. That is a very tall team. And actually, fun fact, they have the same amount of players that are over 6'4 than the men's team does, which I don't think we've ever seen. But while TCU is bringing in the big players next season,

most of them coming in are role players. So is their Portal class a big deal or not a big deal? I think it's a big deal because, you know, all we can see is size, but all I can see is assists because you got Olivia Miles and she's not just going out into, you know, the middle of nowhere. She's got now a full arsenal of huge size targets, but also targets that are very talented. These are all players who played considerate roles, some of them on teams that were post-season caliber teams. She's got a squad of people to work with. And it also seems that players want to play

for coach Mark Campbell. And it feels like in the collegiate side, if you're a coach, either you're really great at retention or you're really great at recruiting. And for Mark Campbell, his task continues to be how quick he can mesh and gel these teams in these one season windows. These are players, at least last year we saw, who come in and they're trying to find a family and that's exactly what happens. But as for the big players, I just hope that they can move well, because sure they could be good on defense, but when you have the little quick ones around you, what is going to happen? I'm very interested to see.

Don't count out the big girls. Exactly. But actually, going from big to small, UCLA has been losing players, and one of them was London Jones, which was so sad. Short queens are not uniting here. But since the tournament, they've lost their whole freshman class and as well as Jadiah Barker. It was very odd to see this happen after Cory Close was named as the AP Women's Basketball Head Coach of the Year and then they went to their first

Final Four in history. I don't think we've seen a turnover this bad, but is UCLA losing all their young players to the portal a big deal or no big deal? It's not a big deal to me, especially for next season. For me, UCLA is still going to be very good. They return a lot of their talent from last season. And that's really the issue, right? Because it's Lauren Betts, it's Kiki Rice, it's Gabby Hockes, it's Mia Gardner, it's Dougalich. They're adding Sienna Betts, more size. Charlize Ledger Walker comes back after missing a season.

She's very talented. So this is a team that's going to be not only talented, but very veteran, very experienced and very deep. And so those younger players might have been looking at it and thinking, I want to play. I don't want to sit. I want to be a star. And for me, it looks more like a logistical issue more than it is a critique on the program or UCLA or their coach.

Yeah, I think the number here is very glaring, but when you look at who they've kept on the team, they're fine. Even if they go to the portal and pick up some players, I mean, they're still probably going to make a deep run next year and look the exact same. I think they're going to be quite good. Coming up, I make my DK game pick of the week, and we have some quick hits for you.

We'll be right back. Welcome back to Good Follow. This segment is presented by DraftKings. Get ready for a top team showdown this Saturday as the Orlando Pride take on the Washington Spirit and look to make a statement at home. Now DraftKings Sportsbrook has it incredibly close. The Pride are slight favourites at plus 100, but the Spirit are tempting underdogs at plus 265 with the draw sitting at plus 230. Translation, even the odd makers know that this one is way too close to call.

The prized Barbara Branda is electric. Her speed and finishing are next level and she's one of the most dangerous strikers in the league. If she gets space, it lights out for Washington. On the other hand, the Spirit's Ashley Hatch is a veteran striker who always knows where to be. Hatch is calm, clinical and clutch which makes her exactly the kind of player who could steal a game with one touch. Washington did kick off the season

by beating Orlando in the Challenge Cup, but I'm going to go with DraftKings on this one and put Orlando Pride as the favorite to win. We are bound to see some amazing soccer, so y'all better buckle up for this one. This segment is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Logan, great job.

I'm looking forward to checking that matchup out, but also looking forward to our quick hits and headlines. What do you got for us? Well, starting with the Women's World Cup, they are returning to the US in 2031, and they were actually the only nation to submit a bid and will allegedly be partnering with the CONCACAF nations in a similar fashion to the Men's World Cup that we're about to see here, going to Canada, Mexico, US, and the other Congo-Cathed Nations,

not too sure what they are. But I do really want to talk about the WNBA draft outfits because the orange carpet is one of my favorite runways in the whole entire world, just to critique them and see who's wearing what and if it goes with their personality. But Roz, you had your list of who crushed the carpet. So who did you see as best dressed up there?

Well, culture won at the draft. Okay, how about my Africans standing up? So number two draft pick Dominique Malunga. She's from France, but she made sure to shout out Cameroon and Congo. And of course, our girl Kiki representing for the Nigerians out there to the point of being so intentional that her outfit was literally designed by a Nigerian designer, not only the clothes, but the jewelry too. And she looked like a trophy herself.

She was just glistening golden. Even the blonde wig was a change up that I wasn't even expecting. My girl looked good. And speaking of culture, I wanna shout out to Hina Pow Pow, who looked beautiful in her Samoan attire, just covered in all of the flowers.

She looked regal. Who do you think was the best dressed? Ooh, that's such a hard one. I did love Paige's suits, but it was very expected. Maybe Anissa Morrow really, oh, really shocked me going with the all leather it was giving, like Janet Jackson and that leather do that she had. But Isaiah James, her suit was sick.

I love that. And even the shoes to go with it and the glasses, it made the whole look. I'm so with you. I think Isaiah James and Anissa Murrow were the coolest on the carpet. Of course, shout outs. I thought Sonia Citron, I thought Haley Van Lith all looked very nice. Obviously, the number one draft pick page, you know, did her thing, especially with her supersized coach bag. I love that. I love the new coach partnership with the WNBA. But I have a category.

It wasn't their draft, but they stole the show. Yes. So I have a category for the Rizler herself, Nika Mule. Like, she is just so cool. You could put that same fit on somebody else, So I have a category for the Rizler herself, Nika Mule. Like she is just so cool. You could put that same fit on somebody else, but you're either born with it or you not. It's the shades, it's the poses. Azee Fudd with the straight hair blowout. She looked amazing.

And she changed it up because usually she does the, like the two piece set with the crop top and instead she gave us gown glam. So I was like, OK, Azee. And then Rekia Jackson. Yeah, of course. Super model, not your draft, but y'all stole the show. You did your thing.

But as for our last quick hit, Nafisa Collier is getting some disperse back. She was left off of a WNBA graphic, highlighting the rookie class during the league's brightest stars. Why would you not have her on it? What's missing? And there's retired players on this graphic. Like what is happening? Well, I think the league was trying to show like generations of hoops, but not having Fee in the calendar year of 2025 on your promotional like graphic for the W is very unserious. Fee is a top two player in the world right now.

It's not like her team isn't good. They're a contender for the championship. She's a gold medalist. She is the reigning best defender in your league. She is the runner up for the MVP. If I'm Fee, use it as fuel. Like let's say Fee and the Lynx win, I'd be up there on the podium like they didn't

even have me in the promotional graphics. That's how petty I would be about it. But maybe Fee would be classier, who knows? Hey, speaking of a classy finish, let's close the show in a nice way, Logan. It was lovely to spend time with you again and do good follow with you. And thank you to all of our subscribers and viewers for watching another one with us. It was a huge episode because we had Stephanie White on the new head coach of the Indiana Fever. It's a big deal for us.

Make sure you subscribe to our page. If you've gotten to this point of the video and you haven't yet, hold us down with that subscribe comment, like follow our socials. We do this every week. We drop Wednesday at 7 p.m. on DraftKings Network or YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This show is presented by DraftKings. I'm Roz. She's Logan. Logan, any final words? Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

Bye, y'all. See you next week.